HERE BE DRAGONS DEBUTS VR MINISERIES “DISPATCH” AT VENICE FILM FESTIVAL
“Fictional Drama Takes Audiences Inside the Mind of a Police Dispatcher Played by Martin Starr”
HERE BE DRAGONS, a specialized experience studio comprised of the world’s leading creative innovators in virtual and augmented reality, will debut “Dispatch” at the 2017 Venice Film Festival on August 30 in Venice, Italy, as part of the new Venice Virtual Reality track. Written and directed by Edward Robles, “Dispatch” is a four-episode VR miniseries created with Oculus that follows a small-town police dispatcher as he faces one of the greatest challenges of his career during an all-night crime spree.
“Dispatch” takes the audience to a place few have ever been – inside the head of a police dispatcher. As unsung heroes of the law enforcement world, dispatchers have one of the most difficult jobs – receiving awful news at the worst hour, immediately sending help, and hoping for the best outcome. In “Dispatch,” the protagonist, Ted, is thrust into a situation where he is no longer a witness to whatever happens on the other end of the line, but rather, the only person who can help the victim.
“We created ‘Dispatch’ to embrace the most compelling elements of virtual reality to make the experience as dramatic and entertaining as possible,” said Robles. “With a gripping narrative, immersive audio, and strong visual cues, ‘Dispatch’ gives the viewer an up-close experience with what first responders go through on a daily basis.”
Hailing from the world of commercial storytelling, writer and director Robles specializes in virtual reality production. Robles has helped shape over a dozen VR projects, including “Clouds Over Sidra,” Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Protectors: Walk in the Ranger’s Shoes,” “Ghost in the Shell,” and “Muse: Revolt.”
“Dispatch” is the latest project announced by HERE BE DRAGONS, with previous award-winning projects this year including premieres at Sundance Film Festival (“Tree”) and Tribeca Film Festival (“The Protectors: Walk in the Ranger’s Shoes” with Kathryn Bigelow, “The Last Goodbye,” and “The Possible”) along with “Sessions: The Legion Mixed Reality Experience” at Comic Con for FX Networks. Additionally, HERE BE DRAGONS closed a $10 million equity round of capital led by Discovery Communications, Inc. this month.
Full list of credits:
Starring (in order of appearance)
Ted: Martin Starr
Nicole Marie Fowler: Julianna Guill
Franklin Fowler: Graham Shiels
Sheriff: Beth Grant
Trevor: Samuel Stricklen
Gloria: Kelly Jenrette
Wendy: Lauren Weedman
Dr. Perlman: Ned Vaughn
Ray: Peter Koch
Created by: Edward Robles
Lead Developer: Nicholas Pittom
Produced by: Samantha Storr + Susan Applegate
Executive Producers: Yelena Rachitsky + Patrick Milling-Smith + Madelaine Guppy + Luisa Murray
Associate Producer: Dorian Dargan
Executive Technical Director: Justin Denton
Lead Software Developer: Jason Storey
3D Modeling Simulation: James Kearsley
3D Modeling Animation: Richard Tongeman
Edited by: Alex Gamble
Music by: Kyle Woods
Sound by: Matt Yocum
Director of Photography: Phillip Jackson
VR Camera Supervisor: Kate Wurzbacher
Production Supervisor: Solly Mirell
Assistant Director: Alex Gamble
Production Coordinators: Peter Quenelle + Will Cherry
About HERE BE DRAGONS
Co-founded by producer Patrick Milling-Smith and director Chris Milk, HERE BE DRAGONS is a specialized experience studio comprised of the world’s leading creative innovators in virtual and augmented reality. The HERE BE DRAGONS collective uses custom built tools and technology to craft and curate original immersive experiences of any scope and scale for clients that include Fortune 100 brands, traditional content owners, digital platforms, and everyone between. Its creative team and production talent are industry leaders in short-form commercials, music videos, feature film, theatre, design, photography and fine arts with a proven track record in creating stories that inspire and truly resonate, earning them numerous Emmys, Cannes Lions, Grand Prixes, Palme d’Ors, AICP, D&AD, One Show, ADC, Tony, Webby Awards and a Grammy. Previous projects include “Sessions: The Legion Mixed Reality Experience” (FX), “Protectors: Walk in the Ranger’s Shoes” (NatGeo), “The Displaced” (New York Times Magazine), “The Last Goodbye” (USC Shoah Foundation), “The Mr. Robot Virtual Reality Experience” (USA), and more.
